The Raven Tap, Tap, Tapped on the Dance Floor
by Ravens-Despair
Summary: AS OF 8.14.07, CHAPTER 5 UP! What happens when Raven is dared to enroll in a ballet class? Late night flings, graffiti, and feminine grace ensue. Review after every read chapter, please!
1. The Dare

**The Raven Tap, Tap, Tapped on the (Dance) Floor**

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the Teen Titans. ****I do not own the Teen Titans. I do not own the Teen Titans. I do not own the Teen Titans. I do not own the Teen Titans. I do not own the Teen Titans. Nor do I own Buzz Cola and Doritos.**

**DAMMIT!**

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* * *

"ANCHOVIES?! DUDE! I've _been _an anchovy! That's like- that's like- that's like you're eating me!" Beast Boy exclaimed as his forest green face radiated an angry bright red. His arms flailed as he continued to yell at Cyborg. "Can we get something that has no cruelty involved in it whatsoever?!" 

A sadistic smirk crossed Cyborg's face. "But Beast Boy, what do you think happens to the veggies when you pull them out of the ground? They die! Don't you think they're screaming 'DON'T EAT ME!' on the inside, too? That's cruelty, too!"

Beast Boy fished an ice cube out of his blue-vanilla Slurpee cup and heaved it at Cyborg. Cyborg ducked and it hit a stranger passing by.

"Watch it, loser!" the stranger sneered.

Beast Boy ran the stranger's face through his internal face-recognition machine. "Melissa?! DUDE! Why didn't you call me?"

Beast Boy's failed date pointed to a male friend to whom her arm was linked. She smirked. And with a teasing you-can't-have-this toss of her blond hair, she was gone. The rest of the Titans snickered.

Starfire, however, was bewildered. "Friend Beast Boy, why did the one called 'Melissa' attempt to liberate her tresses from her cerebrum-storage device?" she pondered aloud as she attempted a hair flip of her own.

Unfortunately for Robin, who was seated adjacent to the alien, Starfire's extensive orange mane knocked over his piping hot herbal tea (_"Let us all sample a new beverage!" suggested Starfire with a toothy grin. Robin examined the menu. "Hmm, the herbal tea sounds interesting." Raven twitched. "I guess I'll have a soda." Beast Boy, after much hesitation, decided on a mocha latte. Cyborg's eyes widened as he eyeballed his teammates. "Oh hell no! Y'all are_ not _leaving me with the wheat grass smoothie!")- _spilling it onto his lap.

The Titans counted down, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Robin rocketed from his seat and flailed around the massive terrace of the local pizza joint, knocking over whatever obstructed his path. After a few moments of utter and severe pain, Robin was back in his seat.

The Titans looked around in horror. Robin cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

Raven clutched Robin's chin and jerked his head around, allowing his to take in the full extent of the mayhem he left in his wake. His destruction included, but was not limited to: overturned tables, spilled beverages, broken glass, and injured civilians (including a fallen elderly woman who pleaded, "Help me," and was answered by an eager young man who replied, "Coming!" But when he dragged her away, she exclaimed, "You're not my grandson!" To that, the young man replied, "That's good! 'Cause then it would be incest.").

Robin shuddered. "That's just wrong," he muttered as he shook his head.

"What?"

Robin spat on a napkin and wiped the herbal tea remains from his uniform. "Never mind."

Beast Boy's emerald eyes darted from The Boy Wonder to the mechanical hybrid. "Are we gonna get pizza or what?"

"ANCHOVIES!"

"VEGGIES!"

* * *

Barefoot green feet lightly grazed the fibers in the lush crimson carpet in the Titans' gathering room. Light footsteps quickly gave way to primal, rhythmic stomping. "Everybody! Move your feet and feel united! Ohhhhh!" sang Beast Boy, white iPod ear buds firmly planted in his ears, rendering him horrendously tone deaf- as if he wasn't already. His minuscule pelvis thrusted and gyrated to the insatiable beat that pounded out of his green mp3-playing device. "D-d-d-don't stop the- HEY! YOU STOPPED THE BEAT!"

Robin grimaced. "I could hear you from the training room. Could you be a little quieter?" he asked, returning the iPod he had hastily snatched from Beast Boy.

"WHAT?!" Beast Boy yelled, ear buds _still_ jammed in his ears.

Robin winced as he yanked out Beast Boy's ear buds. He cleared his voice. "I said, BE QUIET!!!!"

Beast Boy smiled weakly. "Okay," he squeaked. He watched his leader as he made his exit and, as soon as he was out of reach, he blew a raspberry in his direction. Beast Boy delicately wrapped his earphone cord around his Nano with care and then... tossed it over his shoulder. With both hands, he grasped the back of the Titans' massive arched black sofa and propelled himself over. He had already made himself comfortable (stretched out, one leg propped up against the top of the sofa, one arm behind his head, the other grazing the floor, drool streaming out of his mouth...) when the thought occurred to him- "I wanna watch a movie!" Realizing his dilemma, Beast Boy groaned. He pulled his leg off of the top of the sofa and-

"BOOYAH! THE BIG SCREEN'S FREE!" That being said, Cyborg sprang over the couch and landed on top of a very mortified Beast Boy. He stretched out his robotic legs and positioned his massive arms behind his head. But much to his bewilderment, he still could not get comfortable. "Who tampered with my pillow?" he wondered aloud as he reached underneath himself and retrieved a panting Beast Boy.

"DO YOU KNOW (pant) HOW (pant) UNCOMFORTABLE THAT (pant) IS?!" Beast Boy ranted, his expression was that of a madman. He snatched the remote of out Cyborg's grasp. "No TV for you!" he declared with a scowl. "Besides, I was gonna watch a movie. Now, if only I could remember what I wanted to watch..."

"NO! I'M GONNA WATCH TV!"

Raven quietly floated into the battlefield, armed with an icy brand of wit and a game plan: to retrieve a novel she had abandoned there a few days prior. Unbeknownst to her, however, she was about to get drafted into the war.

"RAVEN! Wanna watch a movie?!"

"RAVEN! Hey, girl! Let's watch some TV!"

Raven stopped in her tracks. Her royal violet eyes assumed the deer-caught-in-headlights expression. She about-faced and loaded her weapon. "Beast Boy, I will not watch, no- _endure _another juvenile film of your choice while you try to peer down my shirt."

Cyborg silently mocked Beast Boy's rejection. Beast Boy crossed his lanky arms and shot Cyborg a scowl.

Raven turned to face the hulking machine and reloaded. "And _you_, Cyborg. I will _not _take in another 'game' in which the 'players' beat each other senseless for the amusement of millions of mindless spectators. They just throw the ball in there to make it seem legit."

Cyborg scooped his jaw and his dignity up from the carpeted floor. He and the changeling exchanged looks of confusion, shrugged it off and plopped down on the couch. An aluminum can of Buzz Cola pelted Beast Boy's ear.

"OWW! DUDE!" Beast Boy retorted, rubbing his throbbing ear.

Robin stormed towards the couch. "Move over," he commanded as he was about to plop down. He snatched the can from Beast Boy and yanked the tab open. "What are we watching?" he asked as Cyborg channel surfed.

Cyborg groaned as he reached the last channel for the fourth time. "There's nothing on!"

Robin shrugged. "That's cool. Let's play a game. Hey Raven," he called as Raven was about to make her exit, prized book in hand, "Wanna play a game with us?"

Raven turned to face her teammates. "No, I want to read my book," she replied. The boys pouted. "No!" she stated again. The boys pouted even more and Beast Boy gave her the "puppy-dog face". Raven sighed. "Alright, I surrender," she declared as she made her way over to where the boys were sitting.

"I'll get Star," Robin announced as he jumped up and went to Starfire's door. He knocked twice. "Star, the Titans and I are gonna play a game of some sort. I wanted to know if you would like to join us. ...Star?" Starfire's earsplitting snores made Robin twitch. "Okay, never mind," he muttered to himself as he went to the kitchen. A few moments later, he arrived in the living room with two packs of Buzz Cola, the remains of that afternoon's pizza and a bag of Doritos.

"Haha, veggies," Beast Boy teased Cyborg. Cyborg socked him in the arm.

The Titans were lying on the floor in the center of the living room, their torsos propped up on their forearms. Robin set the refreshments down in the center and mimicked their positions.

"So what are we playing?" Raven inquired as she grabbed a cold slice of pizza.

Robin thought for a moment, his fingertips painting various patterns on the carpeted canvas. "Truth or Dare?"

"Um, okay," Raven said between sips of her soda. "Who's first?"

Beast Boy's hand shot up. "OOOH! Me!" He looked around. "Robin! Truth or Dare?"

Robin hesitated. "Uh, dare."

Beast Boy grinned. "I dare you to wear your underwear on the _outside_!"

Twelve Buzz Colas, seven slices of cold pizza, and two bags of Doritos later, the Titans were a wreck. Beast Boy donned a hot pink bikini, a half-buzz cut, and a black sharpie tattoo on his pelvis proclaiming his sexual urgings for broccoli and donuts. Cyborg wore a blonde pigtailed wig, had nearly gagged on a tofu salad, and had licked Robin's cheek. Robin sported cerulean eyeshadow, underwear over his tights, and had scrawled "I'm an Oscar Mayer weiner!" on his arm. Raven had on a dress- enough said.

"...Oh, I love you, Ken!" Raven wrapped up her rendition of Aqua's "Barbie Girl". The Titans were rolling on the floor, clutching their aching stomachs in explosive laughter. Two cans of Buzz Cola exploded, splashing brown carbonated goodness all over the carpet.

Beast Boy wiped a tear from his left eye. "That's classic." He cleared his throat. "Robin, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Robin replied with a smirk.

Beast Boy mimicked Robin's expression of control. "Welllllllll, ARE YOU MADLY IN LOVE WITH STARFIRE?!" he interrogated with a sly grin.

Robin cocked an eyebrow. "No. Not anymore, really. But guess who I _am _madly in love with."

"Who?"

"Your mom."

"Ha. Ha."

"Raven!" Cyborg called the startled empath. "Truth or dare?"

Raven's slender hands crinkled the pleats of Starfire's pale blue jumper. "Dare," she answered reluctantly. She inspected the silk violet bows that encircled the bodice. _This is rather charming. _

Cyborg pondered Raven's physical challenge. _What does she despise most of all? What is the most horrible feat to put her through? Ah. _He grinned a most cynical grin. The Titans gave their undivided attention to the mechanical wonder. "Raven," Raven looked up from the dress she was fiddling with, "I dare you to enroll in a ballet class!"

* * *

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	2. Day One

**The Raven Tap, Tap, Tapped on the Dance Floor**

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Coca Cola, nor the two ballet books mentioned in this chapter.

* * *

A cloaked figure made her way through the narrow alley. The sky's tears rippled stagnant pools around her as she clutched her bag and walked briskly through the downpour. In an instant, everything was ablaze as the sky put on a dazzling light show, which was soon followed by a moan of agony, as if it took a great deal of energy to impress its spectators.The girl paused. She fished through her bag and withdrew a small black umbrella. She opened it and glided through the alley as the rain assaulted the cement with immense force. She halted when she reached a gargantuan building. Thick vines of ivy creeped up the stony sides. The massive windows sported black bars that were rusting with time. There were numerous stories to this building- more than she could account for. The golden sign next to the two frosted glass doors read "The Jump City Academy of the Arts". The girl closed her umbrella, removed her hood, and stepped inside. 

The outside was no indicator to the breathtaking beauty of the interior. Light brown hardwood floors covered the immense studio. The windows of which the girl was given a preview outside lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Long wooden poles were attached to the regal violet walls, of which mirrors occupied a great portion. Brilliant chandeliers reflected the soft light provided by the chandeliers' own lightbulbs and candelabras that lined the walls. A winding black staircase led to the many other stories of the academy. Several open doorways, including one large one, lined the wall to the right of the girl and two doors labeled "Office" and "Restroom(s)" were set into the wall to the left.

_Where is everyone? _the girl wondered as she made her way to the office. Suddenly, a sea of black leotards and white tights flooded into the studio, leaping and twirling along the hardwood floor. A black translucent shield cloaked the girl as she ducked and covered her head.

"Ah, you must be Raven," a mature voice announced.

Raven withdrew her shield and stood up. Several snickers and whispers came from the crowd of lean girls. Her cheeks felt hot as she felt their stares; she wanted to leave, but wanted to remain loyal to the conditions of her dare. "Yes," she responded, tucking a stray strand of violet hair behind her ear.

The middle-aged woman- the dance instructor, Raven assumed- pointed a long, slender toward the office. "Complete your registration in the office and join us. Today, class ends at seven. You'll receive all of the details after you register," she explained. She then turned to her pupils. "In your positions. Demi plié!"

Raven turned the brass knob and entered the office. A cheery elderly woman behind the wooden receptionist's desk smiled at Raven and ceased typing on her computer. "How may I help you, dear?"

Raven glanced at the book titles in the towering bookshelf adjacent to the desk. 'Classical Ballet Technique by Gretchen Ward Warren', 'The Ballet Book: Learning and Appreciating the Secrets of Dance by Nancy Ellison', along with countless others. "I'm," she sighed, "here to register," she answered.

The elderly woman chuckled. "You don't seem too enthused. Your name?"

"Roth, Raven," Raven replied as she read the inscription of the back of 'Classical Ballet Technique'.

The receptionist pulled up Raven's file. "Ah," she said, "someone registered you over the phone, but I could not make out most of the details through the laughter. I'm going to need your address, how long your term will be, your size, shoe size, your height and weight, and legal guardian."

Raven set the book down. "I reside on Titan's Island-"

"I _KNEW _I recognized you!"

Raven glanced down and nodded. "I will be here for a week-"

"Today through next Saturday?"

Raven nodded. The receptionist tapped a few keys. "I'm a small, I suppose. I'm five feet, four inches. I weigh ninety-two pounds. And my legal guardian? ...let's not go there."

"But, we need a legal guardian for you to complete your registration."

Raven sighed. "Let's just say, I have issues with my father," she muttered.

"And your mother?"

Raven's amethyst eyes were downcast. "She's dead."

"I'm sorry," the receptionist comforted, sincerely concerned. Se tapped a few more keys. "I suppose I can override that field," she assured with a cheery smile.

Raven nodded in comprehension. "You're all set!" the receptionist announced. "Okay, class meets monday through friday from 4:30 to 9, and saturday and sunday from 1 to 7. Starting tomorrow, we'll provide you with a black leotard and ballet slippers. It's your responsibility to bring them everyday along with white tights, a bottle of water, and legwarmers. Oh! And your hair must be kept in a neat bun at all times." She smiled suddenly. "Oh, you'll make a beautiful ballerina! I hope you enjoy your time here, Raven dear. Now, off you go!"

Raven waved the receptionist farewell and returned to the studio.

* * *

"I think she's emo."

Raven sat in solitude in a corner of the studio. It was break time. The graceful creatures of dance were gone and in their place stood hyperactive teenaged girls. Raven pulled up her hood and closed her eyes.

"No, you talk to her, Abby!"

"Fine!"

Raven shook her head and tried to drift off to dreamland.

"Hi! I'm Abigail. ...Hello?"

Raven awoke. She drew back slightly, startled by the grinning brunette in front of her. "...I'm Raven."

Abigail nodded and pointed to her companion. "We know," she gushed, "We know about all of the Titans. Including that cutie Beast Boy!"

"I _hate _Beast Boy," Abigail's companion groaned.

"Shut it, Melissa!" Abigail shot back. She returned her gaze to Raven. "So, how do you like it here so far?"

"I despise this place," she muttered with a scowl.

Abigail blinked. "Are you kidding me? This place is amazing!" she screeched in disbelief.

Raven rolled her eyes. "All you do is prance around in stupid outfits. What good do you do anyone?"

Abigail felt her green-hazel eyes swelling with hatred. "Whatever you- you- you heartless, emo bitch!" And with that, she stormed off.

Raven sighed and stared at the gossiping teenagers that filled the studio. _Idiots, all of them._ Raven watched a tall girl slip into an oversized Ramones hoodie and nibble on a cracker. The girl noticed that Raven was watching her and came over.

"Uh, hi...? I'm Kristana- Kris for short. You're new, eh?" she greeted, removing a stray blonde hair from in front of her smoldering dodger blue eyes.

Raven pulled down her hood. "I'm Raven, but you probably already know that," she replied.

Kristana pulled her long legs into her chest and rested her forearms on her knees. She nodded in reply. She glanced at Raven. "What are you doing here?"

Raven titled her head back until it came to rest upon the wall behind her and closed her eyes. "It was a dare," she answered. She waited for a cold reply.

Instead, Kristana laughed and patted Raven on her shoulder. Raven flinched. "My mother enrolled me here two years ago, hoping it'd teach me a lesson in femininity," she revealed, her head resting on her knees. She pulled out a pack of saltine crackers from her pocket. She offered some to Raven. When Raven refused, she slipped one into her mouth and placed the pack back into her pocket. After digesting the cracker, she sighed. "God, I'm hungry."

Raven withdrew a candy bar from her bag and offered it to Kristana. She refused. "I can't," she said simply and popped another cracker into her mouth.

Raven shrugged and bit into the chocolate bar. The instructor reappeared and clapped her hands twice. "Break is over. Let's get back to dancing!" she announced.

Kristana stood up, groaning. She turned back to the empath. "Well, I guess I'll talk to you later, Raven." She removed her hoodie and threw it next to Raven. She then resumed her position holding the wooden bar.

"First position."

* * *

Raven sipped her steaming herbal tea, clutching her crisp new novel. She telekinetically turned to the next page. Robin opened the refrigerator and grabbed a frosty can of Coke and a slice of Cyborg's not-yet-famous chocolate cake. He sat down next to Raven and pulled the tab of his soda open. 

"How was your first day?" he inquired, gulping down his carbonated beverage.

"Ridiculous," she answered without looking up from her book.

Robin consumed a bite of his dessert. "How so?"

Raven glanced over at the Boy Wonder. She closed her book and turned her body to face him. "Tutus," she said dryly.

Robin chuckled. "Raven," he smiled, "It's not that bad." He took a long swig from his soda can. "You'd be a great ballerina," he assured.

Raven groaned. "I don't want to be _any_ sort of ballerina," she reciprocated with a scowl.

Robin threw his empty can in the garbage and placed his empty dish and fork in the dishwasher. He walked over to where Raven sat and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he asserted sotto voce. He glanced one last time into Raven's amethyst eyes and left.

Raven sighed and pulled her knees into her chest. _What do I want?_ She glanced at the cover of the book she had purchased on her way home:

_'The Ballet Book: Learning and Appreciating the Secrets of Dance'_.

* * *

**Read and review. Chapter Three up soon.**

**A/N:**** For some reason, I listened to "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's during the writing of this chapter.**


	3. Day Two

**The Raven Tap, Tap, Tapped on the Dance Floor**

**Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vitamin Water. It is the property of Glacéau. I also don't own Dasani water, Corona, Mike's Hard anything (ahaha 'Mike's Hard'...), and "Grandma's Boy".

* * *

Her eyes stared up at her black ceiling until the darkness formed detailed romantic patterns of stars and ballet slippers. Raven shut her eyes to rid herself of the ghostly silhouettes that haunted her slumber. She slipped one arm behind her head and looked over at her clock. The fire-truck red digital numbers burned '11:55' onto her retinas. She rubbed the nearly nonexistent grogginess from her violet eyes, muttered an expletive under her breath and slipped from under her black quilt. Her barefoot pale feet barely grazed the black fibers on her carpet as she retrieved grey legwarmers from her top drawer and surprisingly discovered white tights in her second drawer- they had a note attached that read _"I figured you'd need these. -Robin"_. A tiny smile danced upon Raven's lips as she withdrew her favorite ripped bootcut jeans and a comfortable Yeah Yeah Yeahs tee. She got dressed and slipped her legwarmers into her bag. She then got on her knees and searched under her bed for her favorite Dravens. She stuck her hand into the black void and hoped for the best. _Got 'em. _She pulled them out and slipped her feet into them. _Comfortable,_ she cooed. Raven grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom. 

The sudden shock of fluorescent lighting caused the empath to flinch. She briefly flipped the switch and allowed her eyes to cool down. When she felt she was ready, she switched the light back on. She meticulously laid her makeup supplies onto the gleaming bone-white porcelain sink counter- eye makeup on one side, lip makeup on the other. She pondered her look for the day. _Something simple,_ she decided. Raven uncapped a midnight blue eye crayon and applied a centimeter-thick layer underneath her eye. She loaded the rest of her kit back into her makeup bag and placed the bag into the medicine cabinet. With a fuzzy black scrunchy, Raven fashioned her violet hair into a tight bun. She allowed a few strands of hair to rebel and fall in front of her eyes. She nodded at her reflective doppelganger and bid her farewell.

* * *

Raven purchased a toasty blueberry muffin and a green tea 'Rescue' Vitamin Water from a small local deli en route to her ballet class. As she was about to sample what the muffin had to offer, a shout captured her ear. 

"Rae!"

Raven spun on the heel of her vegan sneaker. Her eyebrows shot up. "Robin, h-hi...?"

Robin sipped from his brown paper coffee cup. He tucked his _Gotham Times _under his gaunt shoulder. "On your way to ballet?" he inquired, puzzled, as he eyed a facet of Raven's legwarmer.

Raven stuffed her Vitamin Water into her bag. "Yeah," she replied. She gestured toward Robin's newspaper.

Robin looked down. "Oh," he said, "I like to keep track of an old friend." He took a step forward and smiled. "I'm glad you decided to go back, Raven. You don't give up too easily."

Raven blushed and half-smiled. "No, I don't." She peered down at her T-Comm. 12:40. "I have to get going! I-I'll see you later, Robin," she exclaimed in a rushed manner.

Robin waved and took off. Raven pulled on her black Badly Drawn Boy hood and started toward the academy.

* * *

"Here is your leotard and your ballet slippers. Hurry up and change," the dance instructor instructed. 

Moments later, Raven emerged from the locker room. She was reduced to a mere carbon copy of the other girls- the perfectly thin and postured girls. Raven suddenly felt flawed. She looked down at her figure. She always thought she looked fine. New negative chemicals mingled with the little positive ones that remained- Raven suddenly felt short and fat.

"Raven!" A voice interrupted her self-destructive thoughts.

The empath looked up. Kristana twisted the plastic cap on her Dasani close and grinned. "I'm glad you're here. You make this hell a little more manageable," she cooed as she draped an arm around Raven's shoulders in a pseudo-hug.

Raven felt unbearably tiny next to Kristana. Kristana was roughly five or so inches taller than her, as Raven had estimated. She looked down at Kristana's emaciated green-fingernailed digits; her joints were like rings compared to the rest of the bony finger. She shuddered.

"What's your last name?" Kristana asked as she led Raven to one of the mirrored walls.

"Roth," Raven answered, admiring the detailed engravings set into the wooden bars.

Kristana pointed to an open space behind her. "I'm Rose. You're right behind me," she giggled. She gripped the wooden bar with one hand, firmly planted her feet on the wooden floor and descended moderately, executing a perfect demi-plié.

Raven cocked an eyebrow. She bent over and made an attempt to touch her toes, but to no avail. She groaned and lowered herself to the floor. She drew her feet together and stretched- or, at least, tried to. She could hear the joints and ligaments liberating themselves from their usual rigidness. Kristana released herself from the bar and squatted next to Raven. "Here, let me teach you something that'll stretch every part of your body," she suggested, offering her hand to Raven.

Raven accepted Kristana's bony hand and stood up. Kristana led Raven to a bare wall in an unoccupied corner of the studio. She turned her back to the wall, distancing herself at least a foot away. She then bent backward, her hands crawling down the wall until she reached the floor. "It's called 'the bridge'," she announced, her body contorted into a slender arc.

Raven distanced herself a foot away from the wall, bent backward, and crawled down. She flinched as she listen to the symphony of cracking backbones. She held her position for the count of twenty, and promptly collapsed. Kristana loosened up and crawled back up the wall. "This is _not _easy," Raven wheezed. Kristana pulled Raven's crumbled mass from off the floor. Raven thanked her and leaned back against the wall, afraid to support herself for her fragile frame might deviate and drop her.

"_Commençons_!" the instructor roared. Her long, taut frame commanded the studio from the center. She barked several ballet positions, the majority of which Raven did not understand.

Kristana's demeanor snapped from playful to graceful robot. Raven watched as the girls dipped, pliéd, and twirled in unison. _They're like robots_, Raven noted. Their faces were expressionless and so...cold. Raven gave up trying to copy the others and sunk down.

* * *

"Shit," Raven muttered as she examined the Vitamin Water spill on her tights. 

It was break time. Kristana was seated next to Raven in the corner, nibbling on saltines and drinking water to wash them down. Without hesitation, Kristina licked her thumb and rubbed the spill away. Raven froze in bewilderment. Kristana cocked an eyebrow and popped another cracker into her mouth. Raven dug into her bag and fished out the saran-wrapped remains of that morning's muffin. She offered a piece to Kristana, who- as Raven predicted- refused. Raven finished it off. Abigail and Melissa passed by, flipping the seated empath off and yelling something that Raven couldn't make out.

Kristana shot up with unmatched agility. "You better watch your fucking mouth, you prissy little bitch!" she growled, her fists clenched beside her. Abigail's eyes seemed to almost roll out of their sockets. She rapidly latched onto her friend and sped off.

Raven chuckled as loud as she could, which was not as loud as she'd like. "Thank you, Kris," she said, retrieving her Vitamin Water from the depths of her black bag. She offered some to her.

Kris examined the nutritional facts on the label. "Fifty calories? I suppose I can do that," she murmured as she took a sip. She pointed a choice slender finger at Abigail. "Stupid little Miss Von Catania," and her finger wandered over to the dance instructor, "Stupid big Miss Von Catania."

Raven's eyebrows shot up. "Her mother?" she asked as she took a swig.

Kris shook her head and swallowed her floured refreshment. "Her father's sister. Her aunt. Her _bitchy _aunt," she responded as-a-matter-of-factly. "Speaking of the bitch...," she mumbled as Ms. Von Catania instructed her pupils to 'lend her their ears'.

_Starfire would be so confused,_ Raven noted.

"I have a family emergency," she announced with a grimace, "So, class dismisses early today." She scowled at the immense amount of cheers the announcement earned her. She then gathered her belongings, beckoned for Abigail and Melissa to follow, and left.

Kristana cheered and snatched up her belongings. Raven gathered her bag and stretched out. Kristana suddenly grinned. "My mom's going to be out all day today. Do you want to come over?" she inquired.

Raven entertained the notion for a few fleeting moments. She looked up and nodded, her eyes twinkling with the memories of juvenile games and play. Kristana grinned and grabbed Raven by her hand and skipped out of the academy.

* * *

The two girls came to a quiet lane- a rarity in bustling Jump City. Armed with grocery bags, they came to a towering brownstone duplex. Kristana withdrew a set of keys from her hoodie's pocket and checked the mailbox. "Dad... Dad... Dad... Dad... Mom's bills...," she murmured as she analyzed each envelope. She slipped the envelopes from her father into her bag and placed the rest back into the mailbox. She led Raven up the limestone front steps and unlocked the door. "Come on," she beckoned. Kristana led Raven through lavishly decorated rooms until they reached what Raven assumed was the kitchen. Kris instructed Raven to drop the bags onto the island in the middle of the sprawling kitchen. She removed her shoes and slid into the hardwood living room, setting the soundtrack for the adventures to come. 

Raven bopped her head to the infectious guitar riffs. "Kick It?" she asked, half-knowingly, as she unpacked the grocery bags.

"By the one and only Peaches!" Kristana replied with a grin as she aided her friend in her task.

"HOW DO YOU DO THAT COOL DANCE?!" Raven yelled.

"Baby, don't split those hot pants!" Kristana reciprocated with a growl.

"I GOT THESE MOVES THAT WE CAN DO TO AND SING!" Raven screamed as she placed the soy milk into the refrigerator.

"I don't look too good in pink!" Kristana purred as she jumped onto the island and let the beat dominate her frail figure. She banged her head and her body convulsed.

Raven closed the fridge and peered up at the slave to dance. _Woah._ She threw a cracker at Kris. She opened her eyes; Raven could _feel _the tinge of mischief surging through them. Kristana retrieved two Vitamin Waters, grabbed Raven's wrist and dragged her upstairs. The immaculate rooms were a blur; Kristana didn't stop running until they reached her dormitory. She turned the brass knob and pushed open the door. Raven peered inside. If she weren't as aware, she would've sworn she had stepped through the looking glass and into wonderland. The massive room sported electric blue walls that matched Kristana's smoldering eyes. Posters of bands, celebrities, pin-up girls, and movies clothed the walls, along with shelves, unlit candelabras, and small lamps that radiated a soft glow. Her forest green shag carpet supported a relatively tiny twin-sized bed. The eerily perfectly-kempt bedspread was 'Johnny the Homicidal Manic themed'. Well, actually, it was a green bedspread set that Kristana graffitied with various images of JTHM with an arsenal of rainbow sharpies.

Kris gracefully leaped over the numerous DVD cases that were spread out on the carpet and landed onto an oversized black beanbag chair. She fished another out from underneath her bed and gestured for Raven to do the same. Raven leaped- and tripped over 'Grandma's Boy'. Agile Kristana outstretched her arm and caught Raven before she had a nasty accident.

"Thanks," Raven praised, rubbing her throbbing ankle. Kris giggled and drank her dragonfruit Vitamin Water. Raven shook hers briskly and took a large gulp.

Kristana's mind was elsewhere. Fortunately for Raven, it was a round trip, as Kristana's eyes lit up in the same manner as they had in the kitchen. "Let's go tagging," she grinned.

Raven's eyes glazed over with confusion. "Tagging?" she repeating, letting the word play on her tongue as she murmured it a few more times, hoping that the meaning would come to her with each repetition.

Kristana gestured as if she were holding an invisible can. With her mouth, she made spraying noises. Her grin widened. "You know, _tagging_."

Raven scratched her nose. "I don't know if I can-"

"I'll teach you! It-"

"No, with me being a 'hero' and shit," Raven explained.

Kristana nodded slowly. "And you should care because...?" she coaxed with a sly grin.

Raven reluctantly gave in. Kristana cheered and went into her closet to gather her graffiti cans and an outfit to change out of her ballet attire.

* * *

Raven- literally- tossed out her fourth Mike's Hard Lemonade. This time, it landed in the can. Kristana attempted to slap Raven a high-five, but gravity decided against it. She almost knocked over her Corona, but she decided that the beer was more important and she fell instead. Raven giggled. An innocent ficus on the island exploded. Kristana crawled toward the wall and climbed up. "Ready to go?" she inquired with a hint of slurring. Raven nodded eagerly and out they went, an army of floating graffiti can following close behind. 

Kristana grabbed Raven's hood and pulled her into a pitch black alley. She lit a match and shed light onto their grim surroundings. Garbage and debris were strewn everywhere. A rat or two scurried past the girls' feet as Kristana shook a red graffiti can and imprinted the phrase _SUCK MY DICK! _onto the wall. Raven scoffed, snatched the can away and drunkenly pushed her friend aside. She added the words _SLADE CAN_ onto the beginning. Kristana stepped back to admire Raven's work. "Pshh," she scoffed, "Who the fuck is Slade?"

Raven about faced and tagged Kris's yellow The Strokes shirt. "An asshole who doesn't matter anymore," she waved the question off.

Suddenly, the sky growled. Rain poured down onto them, drenching them from head to toe.

As Raven was about to shield them both, Kristana shoved Raven against the wall, pushing her into her not-yet-dried red tag. A nearby garbage can imploded, launching its contents like foul-odored fireworks. Kristana moved one hand up to Raven's cheek and let the other wander on Raven's back. She then pressed her lips onto Raven's. Raven, surprised, shut her eyes. _What is she doing? What is this- this feeling?_ She placed her hands on Kristana's waist and kissed back. _I want this...? Yes. Yes, I want this. _Raven heard a rat squeal as it exploded. _I'm sorry,_ she apologized in vain. Raven pushed her kissing companion onto the opposing wall and kissed harder. Kristana ran her hands up and down Raven's back as Raven forced herself harder onto Kris's lips.

Raven broke the kiss. Her mixed emotions were yelling various commands at her. _STOP IT, YOU FOOL/ Kiss her/ ...go home... / Dude, that was awesome/ That was not a wise thing to do at all._ She didn't know who to obey. She shut her eyes and went with her primal instinct.

Raven kissed Kristana's cheek- it was her turn to lead. She grabbed Kris's hand and pulled her through the rain and to her front door. Kristana fumbled with her keys until she opened her door. Raven gained a firm grip on Kristana's collar and led her upstairs. She turned the knob on her bedroom door and pushed Kristana onto her bed. Kristana shook her head. "Not on the bed. I never sleep there," she cooed softly.

Raven shrugged and pushed Kristana onto the shag carpet. They didn't even bother removing their sopping wet clothes. Finally, Kristana broke the kiss. She smiled blankly and rested her head on Raven's chest. Raven sighed contently and placed the beanbag chair underneath her head. The song of the water assaulting Kristana's window's lulled the girls to a peaceful slumber.

_My head is going to hurt in the morning._

* * *

**How did you like this chapter? Next one coming soon. Do me a favor- after each chapter you read, can you leave a review? That'd be great.**

**Review!**


	4. Day Three

**The Raven Tap, Tap, Tapped on the Dance Floor**

**Chapter Four**

**Disclaimer:** The lyrics bits featured in this chapter are from "Someday" by The Strokes and "Let Go" by Frou Frou. I have no affiliation with bands or the songs. I also do not own "The Nutcracker" or related entities.

* * *

"AHHH!" Raven shrieked, fishing the ice cup from out of her shirt. 

Kristana hovered over her, covering her mouth to prevent any obnoxious teenaged laughter from leaking out. Raven opened her eyes and gave her an I'll-get-my-revenge,-you-just-watch glare. Kristana held up a glass of water and three pain relievers. "For the hangover that you're gonna get," she explained.

Raven scowled. "What han- ohhhh!" She snatched the water and pills and downed them quickly. _Damn her for being right._ She shivered, her still-damp clothes were met with the arctic wind that blew in from Kris's air conditioner.

Kristana squinted to see the time on her old-fashioned Felix the Cat wall clock. "It's 7:25," she murmured, trying to remember what significance that particular time had. She gasped. "I've got to get to school!" she shrieked, desperately searching through her incredibly messy room for her backpack.

Raven eyed a bright red bag of some sort. She gestured toward it. "Is that it?" Kristana exhaled in relief and silently thanked her friend for her help. Raven pushed herself up from the floor and dusted herself off, picking off several furry fragments of the shag carpet. "I think I'm going to go home," she announced quietly as Kristana was hurled into a lunacy fringe. Kristana nodded in acknowledgement and continued in her quest for her school supplies. Raven grabbed her bag and headed home.

* * *

Raven scouted the hauntingly empty Titans hallway for any awake life forms. Finding none, she released an exasperated sigh and journeyed to her room. Robin's door opened, freezing Raven in her tracks. Several visible bags came to rest under Robin's eyes. He seemed to be muttering to himself. Raven strained her ears to hear, "Maybe Slade got her..." She dared to come forth. Robin snapped out of his trance and focused his tired eyes on Raven's form before him. "_RAVEN! _Where were you?" he interrogated, involuntarily half-yelling. 

Raven cringed at the high-pitched squealing that infiltrated her ears. "I...stayed over a friend's," she replied nonchalantly.

Robin furrowed his brow in confusion. "But I tried to track your coordinates and I kept getting an error message that said your device was out of order!"

Raven reached into her dampened jeans pocket and withdrew her T-Comm. She pushed a random button and was treated to a spark-laden light show. _Oops... _"I was in the rain last night-"

"You mean that _storm_?! What the _fuck _were you doing in the rain last night, Raven?" Robin's mouth shriveled into a stubborn grimace as he snatched away the device.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "What the hell has gotten into you?" she growled.

Robin dropped the T-Comm, causing a moderately sized fissure to form on the hard plastic shell. "What's wrong with _me_?!" he yelled. "What's wrong with _you_?! It's like ever since you enrolled in that ballet class, you've been a different girl. What the hell happened to you? It's like I don't even matter to you anymore!"

In Beast Boy's room, a Hot Hot Heat album donned an eerie black luminance and exploded, littering his room with jagged hard plastic shards.

Raven was livid. "First of all, you _wanted_ me to continue, so any repercussions are on you...-" Her voice trailed off as what Robin had just said sunk in. She calmed down a bit, much to the benefit of Beast Boy's CD collection. "What- what do you mean you don't matter to me?"

Robin turned away so Raven wouldn't see him blush. His voice became lower, calmer. _Vulnerable_. "I-I-I didn't mean it like that," he stammered. And with a flourish of his bright yellow cape, he disappeared into his room.

Raven's mouth was left agape as her eyes traveled from the metallic exterior of Robin's door to the disrupted yellow device that lay broken on the crimson carpet. She picked it up and turned it over, inspecting every crack and protruding wire. She placed it in front of Robin's door and went to her room. Robin, however, was sitting on the other side, his chin resting in the palms of his hands. He ran a hand through his spiky midnight hair and stood up.

"Raven," he started as he opened his door. He looked around, disappointed to see no one standing there. He looked down. "Her T-Comm," he mumbled as he squatted to study its exterior. Suddenly, Cyborg's door opened, startling the young hero. Robin shot up quickly and presented the hybrid with the broken communications device. "Can you fix this?" he asked, his neck craning upward to meet Cyborg's eyes.

Cyborg gave it a once over. "How did it-"

"The cracks were my fault. And the water damage... That was also me," he lied.

Cyborg cocked an eyebrow and pointed to the serial code. "But this is Ra-"

"I said it was my fault," Robin interrupted.

Cyborg flipped the device over. "I'll see what I can do," he said, turning around to return to his room.

Robin sighed and lightly knocked on Starfire's door, his small frame leaning on its metal exterior. "Can I talk to you?" he asked, twiddling his ungloved thumbs. The flame-haired alien opened her door and Robin stepped inside.

* * *

_You say you wanna stand by my side  
Darling, your head's not right  
You see alone we stand, together we fall apart  
Yeah, I think I'll be alright  
I'm working so I won't have to try so hard  
Tables, they turn sometimes  
Oh, someday..._

Raven lie across her bed, her violet-coiffed head swinging over the edge. "Who am I?" she asked the lingering gloom. The darkness did not reply, which was a shame- Raven wish it had for it was a question she herself could not answer. "I'm going to get hurt," she declared. She sat upright and stared into the shadows. _Why do some fear the dark?_ she pondered. After a moment, she came to the conclusion that it was because they simply dread the unknown. Raven sunk deeper into her bed, wishing she had the time to fear something as petty as _"the unknown"_. She let her fingertips wander along the wooden surface of her headboard. She shared that peculiar quirk with someone else- she just couldn't remember who.

* * *

Robin's fingertips roamed the pale pink plastic surface of Starfire's nightstand. "I just don't understand sometimes," he mused. 

Starfire was engulfed in an enormous stuffed animal- Robin guessed it was either a koala or a wallaby- chair. One of her long legs were drawn into her chest, the other was crossed beneath her. "Perhaps you have feelings for Friend Raven," she suggested, grinning.

Robin fell back onto Starfire's oversized pink floral bed. "This is difficult," he muttered.

Starfire seated herself beside the confused teenager. She ran her slender fingers through his jet black hair as she smiled. "Friend Robin, do you perceive it as difficult because you do not _wish_ to have feelings for Friend Raven?"

Robin considered this for a moment. He shook his head. "It's just..." He sighed. "It's definitely not like when we were dating," he confided.

Starfire giggled. "I do believe that is because Friend Raven is more complex." She looked down at the Boy Wonder. "We had a most _glorious _time together," she grinned.

Robin glanced up at Starfire's toothy grin and couldn't suppress a chuckle. "You've been a great help, Star. Thanks," he said as he rose from the bed.

"You are most welcome, Friend Robin!" Starfire called after him as he left.

Robin positioned himself beside Raven's door, drinking in the hauntingly intoxicating melodies that came from within.

_So let go, jump in  
Oh well, whatcha waiting for?  
It's alright  
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown  
So let go, just get in  
Oh, it's so amazing here  
It's alright  
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown..._

The words motivated him, rousing him to tell the dark beauty just how he felt. "Raven!" he announced as he knocked on her door.

He waited for a reply.

When none came, he knocked again, this time screaming, "I'm sorry!"

Silence.

Determined to talk to the empath that lay on the other side, he opened her door. Blinded by the darkness, he flicked the light switch. The room was empty, the stereo playing for an audience of spirits and posters. Robin sighed and plopped down on Raven's bed. He sat on the edge of the spacious bed, his forehead resting in his hands, the siren song pervading his ears.

_Hang your head, your head high  
Hang your head, your head- mmm hey yeah yay  
Hang your head, your head high  
Hang your head, your head- mmm hey yeah yay..._

* * *

"Today we will further practice for the upcoming recital. I want the Chocolate Dancers and the Candy Canes over here..." 

Raven turned to Kristana with questioning eyes. "What recital?"

Kristana arched her back and sat up. "We're performing '_The Nutcracker'_," she replied, rubbing her head.

Raven nodded and sunk further down the wall.

"...Clara, come forth," Ms. Von Catania demanded.

Raven watched as Kristana rose and dragged herself toward the instructor. She moaned, holding her stomach. Ms. Von Catania ignored this and continued to bark instructions.

Then, just as Ms. Von Catania was to tell Kristana where to go, Kristana fell backward, unconscious. The oft-grimacing instructor screamed and tried to revive the fallen dancer. Raven rushed over to where the crowd gathered and gasped. She checked her pulse- she was still breathing. Raven placed her hands over the paper thin skin that housed her ribcage. Her palms glowed a pale blue in an attempt to revive her friend.

Nothing.

Raven clenched her teeth and tried again.

Nothing.

Frustrated, Raven shook Kristana's limp head in a last ditch effort.

Nothing.

A salty tear splashed on Kristana's pale cheek and snaked down to her elongated neck. Raven wiped the remainder from her eyes. She watched, helpless, as the paramedics loaded her friend onto a black stretcher and lugged her outside to the waiting ambulance. Raven sighed, grabbed her belongings, and flew home.

* * *

**The next chapter will be up soon. Please review this and other chapters. I'd greatly appreciate it.**

**-Ariel**


	5. Day Four

**Chapter Five**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Zombie Survival Guide. It is authored by Max Brooks. I also don't own "I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor" by The Arctic Monkeys. I also don't own She Wants Revenge nor anything they own. Duh...

* * *

The Previous Night:: 

_"It was a simple outpatient procedure. They loaded me up with fluids, monitored me for a while, then sent me home. It was no big, Rave. Really."_

_Raven eyed her friend's noticeably less gaunt figure. She nodded and pulled Kristana's white nightgown further down her legs. "I can see your underwear," she explained._

_Kristana giggled and drew the startled empath into a deep affectionate hug. "Still the same old Rave," she murmured rather weakly, releasing Raven from the imprisoning embrace._

_Raven watched the plucky blonde run her slender hands through her now-wild mane. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," the empath said._

_Kristana picked up her copy of the '_Zombie Survival Guide_' and flipped it open to a bookmarked page. "Yep yep," she replied as she hungrily devoured the hypothetical survival tips._

_Raven half-smiled, drew the hood on her midnight blue cloak, and left_

* * *

_"Well, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor!  
__Don't know if you're looking for romance or-  
__Don't know what you're looking for..."_

Robin sent his gloved fists flying at Beast Boy's door. "GARFIELD!" he yelled.

The green changeling opened his door, his eyebrows cocked and a single hand on his hip. "Yeeeeeesssss- DUDE! MY DOOR!"

"We can have that fixed," Robin muttered quickly, waving off the damage he had caused. He plugged his ears with his fingers. "Can you lower that music?" he winced.

"WHAT?!"

"CAN YOU LOWER THE MUSIC?!"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC! LET ME GO TURN IT DOWN!"

Robin narrowed his eyes and sighed. He walked away, shaking his head. A midnight blue figure whizzed past him, knocking him backward into Beast Boy's closed door. He used the wall to help himself to his feet. The bathroom door slammed close as he rubbed his neck. _Raven,_ he thought as he made his way to his door. Robin waited until the bathroom door opened again. As the purple-coiffed telepath flew through the hallway, Robin grabbed her hand, halting her.

Raven looked into the mask of the Boy Wonder with confused eyes. She glanced down at the hands that held her so tightly. "Robin...?"

"Can we talk?" Robin asked, his eyes seeming to plead with the emotionless telepath that lay before him. He loosened his vice slightly, afraid to let go for Raven might slip through his fingers- yet again.

Taken aback, Raven used her free hand to play with her green Dawn of the Dead shirt. "Robin... I-I-I can't...-"

"Please-"

"No," Raven broke free of Robin's grip. "I'm going to meet a friend," she explained rapidly.

Robin checked the time. "It's 1:45. Whoever you're going to meet should be in school-"

"Robin, leave me alone," Raven demanded as she backed away, "Please." With a flourish of her cloak, Raven was gone.

Robin kicked his door with great force and a loud grunt. He sunk to the carpet, pulling his knees deep into his chest. The other Titans left their rooms to watch the spectacle that was Robin.

"He's got a beef with doors," Beast Boy whispered.

Robin glanced up at the spectators. "Oh...," he murmured as he stood up. Muttering expletives to himself, the Boy Wonder entered his room.

* * *

CRASH! _Sploosh. _CRASH! _Sploosh._

Raven watched as the cerulean waves rushed up to meet the rocky shore. They embraced, if only for a moment. They then decided it was time for their meeting to come to an end and the waves returned to the surf. This, of course, repeated several times as Raven looked on. She removed her hood and let the sunbeams set her violet hair ablaze with its powerful light. She pulled her knees into her chest.

_What's wrong with him? Why did he try to get my attention... like that?_

A sigh.

_Sometimes I just don't understand him._

An army of pebbles engulfed in a black glow rocketed into the open ocean. Raven drew on her hood and left the rooftop.

* * *

"Grand plié! Fouetté en tournant!" 

Raven's legs moved as briskly as the rest. Her arms were a twirling blur. Waterfalls of sweat formed pools behind her clavicles.

"And let's end it with a grand jeté!"

Raven, along with the rest of the class, made a grand leap forward, ducked down, and placed her feet back into first position.

Ms. Von Catania led the overworked sweaty girls into a round of applause. "This was a good session, if I must say." Her smoldering hazel eyes fell upon a certain panting empath. "And you, Raven. I must admit I am rather impressed with how quickly you caught up with the rest of the class. Have you had any prior training?"

Kristana snickered.

Raven nudged her. "No," she replied as she grabbed her bag.

Ms. Von Catania's usual sneer was replaced with a thin-lipped smile. "Well, good for you, darling." She turned to face the class. "This concludes today's class. I'll see you all tomorrow. Au revoir!"

Kristana adjusted the strap on her leotard and released a sigh of relief. "Dude, today was...-"

"Hard. Annoying. Maybe even pointless," Raven finished up for her.

After a brief moment of suspended approval, Kristana giggled and shook her head. She removed the blue scrunchie from her hair and shook it out. She grabbed Raven's hand and dragged her out the door.

* * *

Raven released a bevvy of coughs. "I think that's enough hairspray," she managed to choke out. 

A raccoon-eyed Kristana halted her volume-injecting and turned to Raven. "You think?" She checked her reflection in the misty bathroom mirror. She handed the bottle to Raven, "You wanna have a go?"

Raven studied the hairspray bottle. She took it and tested a small, unnoticeable section of her hair. Appeased with the result, she developed an itchy trigger finger. When the smoke cleared, the two girls donned similar hair styles. Raven watched Kristana reach for an eyeshadow brush. "Uh, I think you have enough on," she said.

Kristana smirked. "Who said this was for me? Now close your eyes and DON'T MOVE," she instructed.

Raven rolled her eyes and did as she was told. When she opened her eyes, she also resembled a raccoon.

Kristana grinned. "What do you think?" she asked.

Raven studied her reflection. "I look like a raccoon," she answered without blinking.

Kristana rolled her eyes. "Do you have your ticket?"

"Yeah," Raven replied, holding the concert ticket up for Kristana to see. She flipped it over and studied the words "She Wants Revenge" engraved ever so finely into the hard paper. "I've never even-"

"They're amazing," Kristana assured the unsure Raven. She turned, grabbed her bag, checked her reflection one last time, and smiled at Raven. "Ready to go?"

Raven rose from the edge of the porcelain bathtub. "Yeah."

* * *

_I would like to tell you, I would like to say  
That I knew that this would happen  
That things would go this way  
But I cannot deceive you, this was never planned  
I know that you're the right girl but do you think that I am the right man? _

"Hey!"

"Well, move it asshole and maybe next time you wouldn't get shoved!"

"You wanna piece o' me, bitch?!"

An abandoned bottle of alcohol began to rise. "You want to think twice about what you say to my friend, asshole?"

"S-s-sorry!"

The girls pushed their way through the sea of vibrating bodies. Raven studied the way the music traveled though them- like a dose of heroin pulsating- no, _speeding_- through their veins. They became one with the beckoning bassline and seductive synthesizer. Raven's head began to sway just as Kristana whisked her away to the bar area.

"Want anything?" Kristana asked as she divulged her drink order to the bartender.

Raven shook her head. As she once again looked out onto the pit, a small group of teenage boys approached her and Kristana.

"Hey," a tall pasty-skinned boy greeted. He ran a slender hand through his shoulder-length light brown hair as his alice blue eyes twinkled.

Before Raven was given even an inkling of a chance to answer, Kristana crawled over her and sat by the boy. She grinned and said, "Hey!"

Raven rolled her eyes and leaned back against the bar. Another dared to approach. As he sat by Raven, his chocolate brown hair shielded his eyes. He swept his bangs behind his ear, revealing his brilliant emerald green eyes. He looked out toward the band. "I love them," he stated in a smooth bass voice.

Raven nodded slowly and turned away. The boy craned his neck and said, "Uh, I'm Anthony...in case...you were...wondering..." His voice trailed off as Raven's interest dwindled.

Raven turned to face the nervous Anthony. "That's great. I'm glad that you're sure of your identity. Now please, vanish," she growled.

Kristana turned around and recognized the dark-haired teen. "Oh my god! Raven, this is-"

"Anthony. I know. He was just leaving."

Anthony's eyebrows shot up. Startled, it took a few moments to register Raven's harsh words of rejection. "Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized sotto voce. Eying the sullen empath one last time, he grabbed his soda and fulfilled Raven's wish.

"...no, _you're_ cute..."

Raven eavesdropped on her friend's shallow and pointless conversation. As another sucker came forth, Raven rose and approached the door. Kristana cut her flirting short and followed Raven, grabbing her shoulder and turning her around slightly. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered sharply.

Raven, without looking at her friend, replied, "Leaving before another fucker tries to get in my pants."

Kristana exhaled sharply. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Instead, she shook her head and sighed. "Let's go."

* * *

Kristana plopped down on one of her beanbag chairs while Raven leaned against the closet, a scowl claiming her face. 

"What's wro-"

"Why'd you do that to me?" Raven snapped.

"Do wh-"

"Try to hook me up with someone," Raven replied hastily.

"I thought-"

"Do you-"

"STOP CUTTING ME OFF!" Kristana retorted. She rose from her seat. "Now, I thought you'd like it. I thought you needed to meet someone, Raven. So I'm _so sorry_ for trying to help!"

Raven sighed. "You know that it would be pointless because I can't show emotion," she uttered through gritted teeth.

Kristana rolled her eyes. "For a girl who can't show emotion, you sure have a hell of a _bad _attitude."

"What?"

"Nothing." Kristana stopped pacing and stared into Raven's eyes. "Do you know how _hard _it is to _have _emotions? Do you know the _pressure_?"

"I-"

"Do you know how much _pressure_ I'm under to- to- to be perfect? Every fucking day I'm told that I'm too awkward, that I'm not graceful enough, that I'm not _thin _enough." Kristana emitted a brief hysterical laugh as she fought back her salty tears. "Do you know why I fainted? Do you, Rave?"

"No..." Raven admitted.

Kristana pulled up a portion of her black shirt, revealing a grim outline of her internal bone structure. She turned away from Raven's stunned expression, grimacing. "I don't eat. Well, I do, I guess. Only the minimum amount that it requires to stay alive, at least. Yes, yes, _anorexia nervosa_ as the doctors call it. But I drink. Ha. A lot. My mother knows. She says that I'm turning into my father-" She paused and looked at her bed. She turned to Raven. "Want to know why I don't sleep on my bed?"

Raven nodded.

"The night before my father left, he came into my room. He told of his plans to leave. He told me to not be scared. He then lay down beside me and held me as I cried and begged him not to leave. I never sleep on my bed. I barely even touch it. I do so in hopes of maybe one day, daddy will come home...-" Her voice whittled away to nothing louder than a dull whisper. Kristana turned to the empath, tears cascading from her dodger blue eyes. "That was seven years ago, Rave..."

"I-I-I'm sorry, Kris," Raven empathized.

Kristana searched Raven's eyes for any sign of emotion and sighed. "Yeah... Go home, Raven."

Raven blinked. "Okay," she replied as she pulled on her hood. As she approached the door, she turned to look back at the sobbing teenager. She looked at, sighed and left.

* * *

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